How the tide turned against the leader of South Africa’s second-biggest party

Serving in the South African government for the first time, the Democratic Alliance (DA) – perceived as primarily representing racial minorities – portrays itself as a squeaky clean party but has suffered a major blow after its leader John Steenhuisen became engulfed in several scandals. This forced him to announce he will step down as party leader, opening the way for a potentially divisive contest between a black and white candidate to succeed him. Race remains a major faultline in South Africa.

The ending, 32 years ago, of the legalised form of racism, apartheid, that came with the rise to power of Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress (ANC) has not totally erased the divisions. The ANC has remained in government ever since, with the DA joining it for the first time after the 2024 election failed to produce an outright winner. The DA secured six ministerial posts in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet, with Steenhuisen holding the agriculture portfolio.

As the former leader of the opposition, and now minister, Steenhuisen was caught between making the government work while trying to appease his supporters – and prove to them that he is delivering in government. But the 49-year-old has faced intense criticism from farmers over his failure to contain the foot-and-mouth disease, which has devastated South Africa’s livestock industry. The executive chair of the Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI),Theo de Jager, was quoted as saying that anyone who “dares to voice criticism” of Steenhuisen’s handling of the outbreakis “pushed out, excluded, isolated, targeted, and treated with suspicion”.

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For the DA, such criticism is a major blow as it has long positioned itself as being far more democratic and competent than Ramaphosa’s ANC. But it has now come under fire from one of its key constituencies – South Africa’s mostly white farmers – many of whom vote for the centre-right DA or the right-wing Freedom Front Plus. But more damaging for Steenhuisen was the financial scandal that he became embroiled in – possibly the first time that this has happened to a DA leader.

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